Cooper Equipment Rentals’ gold Skyjack fleet combines everyday concrete site tools with fundraising to support mental health.
Skyjack telehandlers. Photo courtesy of Cooper Equipment Rentals.
Contractors may soon notice something different on their jobsites: gold equipment. That’s because Cooper Equipment Rentals recently partnered with Skyjack to launch the latest phase of its Golden Equipment campaign, introducing nine gold Sky-jack telehandlers, along with a gold trench shield and a gold pump. The equipment begins rolling out nationwide this month as part of Cooper’s fifth annual fundraising initiative supporting local community organizations, with a focus on children’s and family mental health.
While the campaign is rooted in community support, the equipment itself is highly familiar to contractors involved in foundations, forming, pours and underground work. Telehandlers, pumps and trench shields are staples on concrete-heavy sites, making the golden fleet both highly visible and closely connected to everyday construction operations.
Five years of community impact
The Golden Equipment campaign was first launched in January 2022 to mark Cooper Equipment Rentals’ 50th anniversary. Since then, the initiative has raised more than $575,000 for local charities across Canada. Earlier editions of the campaign featured eight gold excavators – one for each region Cooper serves – along with a gold trench shield and pump.
As part of its ongoing effort to operate one of the youngest rental fleets in the industry, Cooper is now retiring the original gold excavators and transitioning to Skyjack telehandlers for the next phase of the campaign. The shift allows Cooper to refresh the initiative while keeping it closely tied to equipment that contractors regularly rely on.
“At Cooper, valuing people is at the heart of everything we do – our team, our customers and our communities,” says Darryl Cooper, President of Cooper Equipment Rentals. “This campaign reflects that belief. And partnering with another Canadian company to support mental health makes this next chapter even more meaningful.”
A partnership rooted in Canadian values
The new collaboration emphasizes the shared Canadian heritage of Cooper and Skyjack, both of which have long-standing ties to the construction sector. According to Cooper, Skyjack was a natural partner for the Cooper Cares initiative, not only because of its equipment portfolio but also because of its willingness to support the campaign from concept through execution.
Skyjack worked closely with Cooper to customize the machines and coordinate delivery directly from its manufacturing facility in Mexico to Cooper branches across the country. For Skyjack, the campaign offered an opportunity to support a cause that resonates with the industry while putting its equipment front and centre on active jobsites.
Equipment visibility meets fundraising goals
For 2026, Cooper has set a fundraising target of $150,000. The company selected Skyjack’s 5K telehandler as the campaign’s flagship machine, citing its reliability and popularity within the rental fleet. High visibility, both in colour and on busy sites, was a key factor in the decision, helping the equipment serve as a mobile ambassador for the campaign.
To further boost awareness, Cooper’s launching a national #SpotCooperGold social media challenge, encouraging contractors and crews to share photos of the gold equipment when they encounter it on site.
For most contractors, the Golden Equipment campaign may not change how work gets done, but it offers a visible reminder that the equipment supporting their projects is also helping support the communities where those projects are built.
